The Only Way to Go
by StarSword-C
Summary: One-shot set in The War of the Masters shared universe, written with Takeshi6, follow-on from "Faces in the Flames" and "Remembrance of the Fallen". Lieutenant Tiana Lanstar travels to Bajor for her wife Sobaru Lanstar's funeral, and reunites with her former Academy tutor Kanril Eleya.


**Takeshi Yamato's notes:** This was somewhat inspired by my Halloween LC Entry with StarSword—I know I wanted to follow up with another Tia/Eleya story where they met after Sobaru's death. It wasn't until the Tyria Sark piece was done for ULC 10 that we started actually hashing this out. This also sets up further character development for Tia, and takes place a few days before the start of _Original Sin_.

So, sit back, and enjoy!

* * *

 **Cast:**

Lieutenant Tiana "Tia" Lanstar: Maryke Hendrikse

Captain Kanril Eleya, CO, USS _George Hammond_ : Jennifer Hale

Commander Tesjha Phohl, XO, USS _George Hammond_ : Claudia Black

Kojami Gwint, mother of Kojami Sobaru: Elizabeth McGovern

Kojami Genya, father of Kojami Sobaru: Hugh Bonneville

Second Lieutenant Kojami Jina, sister of Kojami Sobaru: Lily Nicksay

General of the Bajoran Militia Elwar Murin, Commandant of the Bajoran Militia: Dame Judi Dench

Command Master Chief Petty Officer Kinlo, daughter of Koltek, senior enlisted advisor, USS _George Hammond_ : Kate Mulgrew

Kalli Eparan, Vedek of Deep Space 9 and the Outsystem Colonies: Demore Barnes

Captain Signum, Special Operations Section 6: Stana Katic

* * *

 **The Only Way to Go**  
 **by Takeshi Yamato and StarSword-C**

 _Preacher said he died too young  
Over there totin' that gun  
For Uncle Sam and our freedom  
Mom and Daddy dressed in black  
They folded up that flag  
Handed it to dad  
Started prayin'  
Yeah, he went out 21 guns blazin'_

 _An' that's One Hell of an Amen_  
 _That's the only way to go_  
 _Fightin' the good fight_  
 _Til' the Good Lord calls you home_  
 _And so be well my friend_  
 _Til' I see you again_  
 _This is our last goodbye_  
 _But it's a Hell of an Amen_

 _Doctor said he ain't got long_  
 _He just smiled, said bring it on_  
 _If you think I'm scared_  
 _You got it all wrong_  
 _A little cancer can't break me_  
 _My heart's right and I believe_  
 _We all hit our knees_  
 _Started prayin'_  
 _Naw he never gave up_  
 _Said the Good Lord's waitin'_

 _An' that's One Hell of an Amen_  
 _That's the only way to go_  
 _Fightin' the good fight_  
 _Til' the Good Lord calls you home_  
 _So be well my friend_  
 _Til' I see you again_  
 _Yeah this is our last goodbye_  
 _But it's a Hell of an Amen_

 _So be well my friend_  
 _Til' I see you again_  
 _This is our last goodbye_  
 _But it's a Hell of an Amen_

"One Hell of an Amen", Brantley Gilbert

 **Temple of the Prophets, Hathon, Bajor, 1704 hours local, 12 Talmos, Seventh Era 959, Year of Shadows (2412.07.18 Earth Standard)**

Lieutenant Tiana 'Tia' Lanstar (though she was up for a potential promotion to lieutenant commander once she got back to Earth) found it somewhat strange that she was more at home here, on her wife's homeworld, than she could ever have felt on Earth, or even her own home planet, the colony world of Midchilda. She guessed part of it was her conversion to the Bajoran Faith, but she didn't know if that was the only reason, or even the biggest.

Regardless of the reasoning, she had opted not to return to Earth on the _Ray Bradbury_ with Nanoha and the rest of the _Wolfram_ 's crew—instead, she had chosen to come here, to the place of her wife's birth, for her bereavement leave—and she had been the one to inform her in-laws about Sobaru's death. And while the whole affair was classified incredibly high (and Tia seethed at how Starfleet was sweeping the threat Sobaru had given her life to help stop under the rug) and she was likely risking her career, she felt that Sobaru's family needed to know the truth. Besides, Bajor was close enough that they'd heard a few rumors already, and the statement Kai Kira gave about the Moab bird-of-prey that had crashed nearby had been apparently worded such that most of the Bajoran populace knew that there had been much more at stake than a 'training exercise'.

While Kojami Genya and Kojami Gwint were proud of their daughter for the role that even her death played in the battle, the purely symbolic casket sitting empty before the altar, draped in flowers and garlands and the Federation flag, seemed to everyone to be worse than if it had been filled. Still, Kojami Jina, Sobaru's elder sister, a newly-minted second lieutenant in the Militia, was just as proud as her parents were, and hoped she would have the courage to make the same choice as Sobaru did if and when she found herself in a similar situation, though Tia had told her that she would do her best to make sure **_no one_** ever had to make that choice again—she didn't want anyone else to face what she and Sobaru had during the weeks before that battle.

Even without the body, though, they still went through with most of the traditional funeral rites, which was why Tia was currently standing in the Hathon Temple clad in her dress whites, as many of the people Sobaru had known from her childhood had gathered. The vedek who had married them in the DS9 Temple back in May had flown down to Bajor to perform the funeral as a favor. Currently, though, they'd reached a bit of a 'lull in the action'—they'd finished the latest round of prayers, and were basically making small talk for a few moments before the next set.

She'd had condolences wished her by several of Sobaru's childhood friends, who likewise didn't believe the official "training exercise mishap" story that Starfleet had given, but Tia hadn't confirmed or denied any of their theories. They deserved the truth, everyone did, but Tia didn't want to risk her career any more than necessary by making the truth too widespread: Sobaru's family were the only ones she would tell.

Tia heard the temple's front door open and close, and turned. Two new figures in Starfleet dress whites stood in the vestibule ritually washing their hands, one a buxom Andorian O-5 with her stark-white hair cut boyishly short, the other…

Tia looked again, disbelieving. She hadn't seen Kanril Eleya in over nine years, but her freshman year tutor hadn't changed much. Still the same cheek scar, same imposing height and athletic build, though the Bajoran's flaming red ponytail now sported a few grey hairs. Her left breast glittered with an impressive party salad of medals, and was that _four_ pips and two command stars on her collar?

What was she doing here?

She walked over to the new arrivals. "It's been a while, Eleya," she said. "I wasn't expecting you to be here."

"Lieutenant," the Andorian began with a disapproving glare, but Eleya held up a hand.

"It's all right, Tess. I know Lieutenant Lanstar from the Academy." The older woman gripped Tia's shoulders and pulled her into a bear hug. "The number of these I've done myself, you'd think I'd know what to say by now," she murmured into Tia's ear. "It's never any easier, never." She stepped back. "How are you holding up?"

Tia smiled sadly. "As well as can be expected," she answered. "We'd only just gotten married almost a month earlier, and she was taken from me so suddenly… It hurts a lot." She paused. "Who's your friend?"

"Commander Tess Phohl," the Andorian answered, the ends of her antennae silently shifting forward. "I'm Captain Kanril's first officer."

"A pleasure to meet you, sir," Tia said. "Um, captain of what?"

"USS _George Hammond_ ," Phohl explained. " _Stargazer_ -class heavy cruiser."

Tia nodded. "Congratulations on that, Eleya," she said. "Sobaru and I always figured you'd end up in command someday, and a _Stargazer_ is a pretty good ship, from what I've seen."

Eleya agreed. "Few rough edges and feels a little short on firepower at times. Good stepping stone, though." Tia gave her a questioning look and Eleya's mouth quirked. "There's a certain Series 23 _Galaxy_ -class whose CO is retiring next spring. No idea if I'll get it, but why not?"

Tia nodded, though still a bit surprised. The _Galaxy_ hullplan was old, but they were incredibly versatile, and the newer ones remained among the most powerful ships in the fleet. "I wish you the best of luck with that, Eleya," she said. "Not sure where I'll go next, myself, though I've heard rumors that I'm up for a promotion."

A bell chimed at the front of the temple and Tia glanced over her shoulder. Vedek Kalli was beginning the Rite of Cleansing. The three moved back into the sanctuary, and Eleya and Commander Phohl knelt on the row of cushions behind Tia, who was at the front with Sobaru's family.

* * *

They'd reached another break period, and Tia had taken the opportunity to introduce Eleya and Phohl to Sobaru's family.

"It's a pleasure to meet a friend of our daughter's," Kojami Gwint, whose dark blue hair had begun to get a few streaks of grey in it, said to Eleya. "I understand you're former Militia?" Eleya nodded.

The blue-garbed Kojami Jina gestured at Eleya's party salad. "Pardon me for asking, ma'am, but is that—"

"The Silver Cross? Yes, it is."

"That's… That's the battle sigil, but on a black ribbon?" It was a rare combination. The Old High Bajoran ideogram for 'battle', given only for infantry combat, mixed with a black ribbon signifying the Militia Space Arm, disbanded early in the last decade.

"Hostile boarding action," Commander Phohl explained.

"I was an E-5, naval weapons tech. We got ambushed by a Syndicate raider. This was about thirteen years ago."

"I think I remember hearing about that," Kojami Genya remarked. "I think that was around the time the decision to shut down Space Arm was being discussed." Of course, it had taken another year and the recession at the turn of the century to give the Conservatives enough votes to force it past the Nationalists.

"So… you were involved in one of our last major space battles…" Jina remarked.

"Wouldn't exactly call one _Buccaneer_ -class corvette a 'major battle'," the captain said rather dryly. "I mean, yeah, we lost thirty Militiamen and I got… this thing"—she waved a hand at the scar under her left eye—"but compared to that mess with the Fek'Ihri at Goralis—"

Tia raised an eyebrow. "You know about that?"

Eleya grinned out of one side of her mouth. "I've got need-to-know. I have top secret clearance and my ship's part of the sector fleet up at DS9."

"You were _here_? Then why—"

"We were off putting out a fire near the Tzenkethi border when everything blew up." She gave Tia a regretful look. "I would've been there, even if just to help with the wounded after."

"I forgive you," Tia replied. "I know you. You wouldn't shy away from a fight if the stakes were as high as they were, unless you were doing something else important."

"Thing is, it _wasn't_ important, just the _phekk'ta_ bendies deciding the border's an extra five light-years out like they do twice a month or so. They usually back down when we show up—it's an _annoyance_ , not a universe-threatening disaster."

"Really?"

Eleya nodded. "Mm-hm."

Tia sighed. "I just wish Starfleet wasn't trying to sweep this under the rug. She died saving the galaxy, and yet the official story is that she died in a _training accident!_ I'm glad that no one here on Bajor actually believes that story, but—"

"Prophets," Jina interrupted, looking behind them to the vestibule, "is that—?"

Eleya glanced over her shoulder, then spun and swiftly snapped to attention, bringing her right hand to the side of her face, palm facing out; Jina did likewise. "A-ten-HUT!" she barked, and the other Militiamen and Fleeties present quickly followed suit as an elderly but well-preserved woman in Militia dress blues stepped into the room, flanked by two Militia NCOs with matte-black phaser pistols openly belted at their waists. Five polished gold bands glinted on her epaulets, contrasting sharply with the pale silver of her hair. She approached the group and smartly returned Eleya's and Jina's salutes.

"General Elwar, ma'am," Jina said, still standing stiffly at attention.

"At ease," the commandant of the Bajoran Militia told them. She looked over to the empty casket, and in a voice that carried across the room she explained, "I came to pay my respects to the woman who saved us all."

"'Saved us all', ma'am?" another of Sobaru's childhood friends, a uniformed NCO, said questioningly. "But FNN said—"

"I know damn well what the official story said, Corporal, and as far as I care Starfleet Command can _piss_ _up a rope_. They're not _my_ boss and they'd bloody better find Commander Kojami a medal before I break protocol and name her to the Order of the Five Moons." There was a collective intake of breath: that was the Republic of Bajor's highest military honor, usually given posthumously and _never_ to a non-Militiaman.

"Th… thank you very much, Ma'am," Tia stammered. "That… that's a tremendous honor you'd be willing to bestow."

"Um, ma'am?" the corporal asked hesitantly. "If I'm allowed to ask… what _did_ happen?"

"Invasion," Tia replied, getting everyone's attention. If the General was going to such lengths to honor Sobaru, and announce it at her memorial, no less, the least those assembled deserved to know was why, classified status be damned. "We weren't there for training exercises—we were there because we'd gotten intelligence of a Fek'Ihri and Undine invasion, supporting aliens who seek to enslave the entire galaxy. During the fighting, our ship was hit by a torpedo containing a Fek bioweapon… and Sobaru… Sobaru blew herself up to destroy it. She saved the ship… at least long enough for us to make a difference."

The gathered mourners began muttering among themselves at Tia's declaration, some of the things Tia heard being "Fits the rumors better than the official story," and "Why isn't the Federation saying anything?"

"I don't know why they decided to bury it, Private," Eleya answered the last one. "When I was growing up, a thing like that you _celebrated_ , you didn't cover it up. Ma'am," she said to General Elwar, "you remember that thing with the True Way in Wyntara Mas Province about twelve years back? Three Militiamen and an SI operative die stopping a bombing?"

"Remember it? I was on the post-incident board of inquiry, wrote the medal recommendations myself."

"Oh."

She turned to the Kojami family. "Sobaru Lanstar doesn't deserve to be remembered as a training accident casualty. Prophets willing, she won't have to be for very long."

"We know," Gwint replied. "We're grateful to Tiana for letting us know the truth when we asked."

As a few people turned to Tia at that statement, she simply looked at them all and said, "I felt that her family, at the very least, needed to know the truth about what happened to their daughter."

"So you illegally revealed classified information?" Commander Phohl summarized with a disapproving tone and a stern look.

"Yes, sir. And I'd do it again."

"Well done," Elwar said. Eleya, and, to her surprise, Phohl, echoed the sentiment.

* * *

The Bajoran funeral was concluded. Now Starfleet military honors took over.

A white-haired female Klingon, the shoulders of her noncom's dress whites dyed engineering yellow, took charge of six other white-uniformed enlisted, three men, three women, who lifted the empty casket by the palls and turned toward the entrance. Eleya nudged Tia from behind. "That's Kinlo, my command master chief," she murmured. "Captain Kurland and I took the liberty of providing the casket team ourselves; hope you don't mind."

"No, I don't," Tia replied. "Thank you very much…"

A black Ford groundcar idled at the curb outside, waiting to transport the casket to the gravesite. Moving with military precision, the casket team slid their load into the back, as Tia, the Kojami family, and the guests entered another groundcar to follow.

A carved wooden arch stood on the green grass of a cemetery outside Hathon, and the casket team placed their load on the ground, then repositioned the Federation flag across the casket, smoothly pivoted on their heels, and stepped away to an honor guard position.

Vedek Kalli stepped forward as the attendees took their seats, placing his palms atop the flag. In clear, Wyntaran-accented _Bajor'la_ , he intoned, "Prophets, guardians of this world, a _pagh_ that burned brightly, oh, so brightly, now returns to your embrace. Would that you gather Sobaru Lanstar, born of the Family Kojami, into your embrace for all time in the Celestial Temple, as we bid farewell to her below."

He stepped back, and Master Chief Kinlo and a dark-haired human O-6, James Kurland from Deep Space 9, stepped up to the casket. "All rise for honors," Kurland said The attendees did so.

Master Chief Kinlo barked, "Aim!" Five Type 3 phaser rifles rose over the casket. "Fire!" Light and sound rent the sky, and Tia flinched. The smell of burning plastic and flesh filled her nostrils.

A strong hand gripped her left shoulder, pulling her out of the flashback. Tia looked behind her as the Klingon snarled the orders again. Eleya gave her a wordless half-smile as the cemetery was lit again by five rifles set to minimum power; Tia gripped the older woman's hand in hers, thankful for the support.

"Aim! Fire!" Again the phasers barked. "Present… ARMS!" The detail rotated smartly in place, rifles held vertically in front of them, as a far-off bugler began playing "Taps".

No, not a bugle, Tia realized after a moment. It was a Bajoran flute.

Four more white-uniformed petty officers took up the royal blue Federation flag over the casket and began to fold it, twice lengthwise, then in neat, uniform triangular sections. Eleya brushed past her and took the folded flag from a blond Bajoran senior chief, then turned and held it out to her. "On behalf of the President of the United Federation of Planets, the Federation Starfleet, and a grateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for Sobaru Lanstar's honorable and faithful service."

"Thank you very much, Eleya," Tia replied, sniffling back tears and taking the flag.

* * *

The other mourners had mostly cleared out and the empty casket had long been removed, but Eleya stayed behind with Tia by a carved wooden arch, a grave marker without a grave.

"What are you going to do now?" Eleya asked. She'd unbuttoned the front of her uniform jacket and now produced a silver hip flask. She took a swig and held it out to Tia. "Want one? Springwine from my hometown."

Tia accepted the flask and took a sip. It had an earthy taste, some kind of dark fruit like a plum. "Where _is_ home for you, anyway, Eleya?"

"Priyat. Fleaspeck town in the Kendra Valley. That's in the southern hemisphere, long way from here."

Tia nodded. "Seems like it," she said. "As to what I'm doing next… I know I want to stay in Starfleet, but beyond that, I'm not sure… I think Nanoha will be happier with a new tactical officer, though…"

"Hey. If you want it, I'm sure I can find a place for you in my Tactical Department. Tess doesn't say it, but I'm sure she could use an assistant T.O."

"I don't really know what I'm going to be doing," Tia replied. "I'm still debating what to do with Sobaru's final gift to me—I want it so badly, but I'm not sure when would be the best time for it…"

"Final gift?"

"Her ovaries." Tia sniffled again. "She knew it was coming. We both did—Orb experience. She had the doc take them out and put them in stasis."

Eleya gave her a surprised look. "You mean… you want to have her kid?"

"It's miracle enough they even survived the battle," Tia answered. "I… she gave me a chance to have someone to remember her by… but I want that child to grow up in a peaceful galaxy, one where threats like the Masters are just a distant memory… and I want to ensure no one else has to make the same choice Sobaru did…"

Eleya's combadge chimed. " _Phekk._ Never fails." She screwed the cap onto her flask and answered. "Kanril."

Tess's voice answered. " _Remember, Captain, you promised your sister?_ "

"Yeah, great _phekk'ta_ timing, Tess."

" _Ma'am, it's an hour suborbital to Priyat, and we have to be back at DS9 for pre-flight in eight hours._ "

Eleya sighed and grudgingly acquiesced. "All right, I'll be there in a few minutes." She looked at Tia. "Sorry, I gotta—"

"I didn't know you had a sister. She Militia?"

"Naw, I'm the red hara cat in a brown burrow," she answered with a grin. "Teri teaches Federation Standard in primary school, married a vedek. Supposed to be having my first nephew in a couple months, too."

"Congratulate her for me. And… thanks for being here."

"Wouldn't miss it." Eleya smiled. "Walk with the Prophets."

"You too," Tia answered as Eleya turned and walked back towards the town and an underground parking deck.

Tia stood there a while longer as the sun set in the southwestern sky and two of the five moons, Derna and Jeraddo, she thought, became visible. Finally, she knelt by the grave marker and pressed her palm to the ideograms that read "blue star flower" in Hathoni dialect, Sobaru's name. "Thank you. I love you forever."

"Lieutenant Tiana Lanstar?" a voice asked.

Tia straightened and turned at the voice, seeing a Vulcan woman approach her from the opposite direction of town. She had on Starfleet service blacks with red trim, but the shoulders were white, indicating a CO. Her dark brown hair was done in a ponytail, which was something you rarely saw with Vulcan women (or Vulcans at all), so it stood out in Tia's mind.

"You have me at a disadvantage, Captain…" Tia prompted.

"Signum," the Vulcan supplied. "Captain Signum, of Starfleet Special Operations Section 6. We're part of the Starfleet Technical Intelligence Group." She passed Tia a PADD. "My superior has an offer for you…"

* * *

 **Authors' Notes:** This is a semi-prequel to "Remembrance of the Fallen". While that one could be rationalized as an Intercontinuity Crossover, the drastic differences between the Masterverse and Eleya's main continuity by the MV "present day" meant developing a full alternate reality counterpart. So, no USS _Bajor_ yet, because the Masterverse doesn't subscribe to the absurd promotion rate in STO (though she did still make captain at a relatively young age, she's still rather junior for command of something as big as a GCS), but also no Noodle Incident of Eleya cussing out a diplomatic conference because "Surface Tension" hasn't happened yet.


End file.
